HomePennsylvaniaCarbon County
Carbon County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Carbon County, Pennsylvania had an estimated 65,743 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 64,754, across 381 square miles. County output reached $2.80 bn in 2024, 1,205 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 48 7(a) approvals worth $19.5 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Carbon County
How many people live in Carbon County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202465,382
- Households27,255
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$67,554
- Median age46.3
- Median gross rent$994 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$211,400
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over48,424
- Population under 1812,375
- Share under 1818.9 percent
- Population 65 and over14,795
- Share 65 and over22.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6438,212
- Civilian labor force33,283
- Unemployment rate7.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.8 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties38th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included840th of 3,222
Carbon County is the 38th largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.6 percent against 18.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Carbon County
Is Carbon County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202465,743
- Census 2020 base population64,754
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.53 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024316
- Births, 2024530
- Deaths, 2024886
- Natural change, 2024-356
- Net domestic migration, 2024572
- Net international migration, 2024107
- Total net migration, 2024679
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,345
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1322nd of 3,144
The county has grown 1.53 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Carbon County
Where are people moving to Carbon County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,791
- People arriving, from those returns3,022
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,664
- Net household movement127
- Adjusted gross income arriving$107.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$18.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$59,873
- Average income of a leaving household$53,148
- Largest single originLehigh County (321 households)
- Largest single destinationLehigh County (214 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh County | 321 | 546 | $15.8 m |
| Northampton County | 207 | 332 | $10.3 m |
| Luzerne County | 169 | 280 | $6.5 m |
| Schuylkill County | 150 | 270 | $6.5 m |
| Monroe County | 147 | 244 | $6.9 m |
| Philadelphia County | 66 | 119 | $4.8 m |
| Bucks County | 64 | 118 | $5.5 m |
| Montgomery County | 63 | 110 | $4.3 m |
Households arriving report $6,725 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Lehigh County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Carbon County
What is the Carbon County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$2.80 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.69 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years5.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Pennsylvania areas BEA publishes41st of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1023rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$42,799
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 5.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Carbon County
Employment by industry in Carbon County
- Covered employment, annual average16,676
- Establishments reporting1,305
- Average annual pay$44,741
- Average weekly wage$860
- Health care and social assistance, employment3,501
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$51,929
- Retail trade, employment2,058
- Retail trade, average annual pay$30,983
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,903
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$20,976
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment1,355
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, average annual pay$19,390
- Manufacturing, employment1,220
- Information, employment853
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 3,501 | 186 | $51,929 |
| Retail trade | 2,058 | 177 | $30,983 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,903 | 148 | $20,976 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 1,355 | 38 | $19,390 |
| Manufacturing | 1,220 | 47 | $60,306 |
| Information | 853 | 32 | $63,844 |
| Construction | 504 | 133 | $59,249 |
| Other services, except public administration | 492 | 116 | $35,467 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 3,501 jobs, 21.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Carbon County
How many businesses are in Carbon County?
- Establishments, all industries1,205
- Employment at those establishments13,027
- Annual payroll$543.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Carbon County
Building permits in Carbon County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024157
- Declared construction value permitted$43.6 m
- Single family units authorized157
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$277,492
- Units authorized per 1,000 households5.8
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Carbon County
SBA loans in Carbon County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded48
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$19.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$405,258
- Median 7(a) approval$238,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$676,500
- Largest single approval$4,550,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)384
- Jobs per approval8.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active22
- Distinct industries receiving approvals34
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer22.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter34
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals6.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countJanitorial Services (4)
- Most active lenderManufacturers and Traders Trust Company (8)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.5 m
- Average 504 approval$1,067,125
- Median 504 approval$845,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval14.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.2
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$28.0 m
The average approval of $405,258 sits well above the median of $238,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 22.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carbon County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Carbon County
Do SBA loans in Carbon County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded8
- Paid in full8
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full8
- Status: Exempt from disclosure29
- Status: Cancelled8
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed3
Only 8 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carbon County
SBA lending by place in Carbon County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending14
- Lehighton, approvals18
- Jim Thorpe, approvals6
- Palmerton, approvals6
- Bowmanstown, approvals3
- Nesquehoning, approvals3
- Hazleton, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lehighton | 18 | $3,915,500 |
| Jim Thorpe | 6 | $3,776,400 |
| Palmerton | 6 | $2,606,000 |
| Bowmanstown | 3 | $1,580,000 |
| Nesquehoning | 3 | $527,000 |
| Hazleton | 2 | $4,850,000 |
| Summit Hill | 2 | $630,000 |
| Weatherly | 2 | $217,500 |
| 6 other borrower cities | 6 | $1,350,000 |
Lehighton accounts for 18 approvals against 6 in Jim Thorpe. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carbon County
How large is Carbon County?
- Land area381 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties58th of 67
- Width, east to west27.3 mi
- Height, north to south26.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land172
- Establishments per square mile3.16
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Carbon County
Flood risk in Carbon County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book23
- Of those, participating in the NFIP23
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Carbon County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Carbon County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Carbon County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Carbon County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202465,382
- Households27,255
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$67,554
- Median age46.3
Common questions
Carbon County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Carbon County, Pennsylvania?
The Census Bureau estimates 65,743 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 65,382, in 27,255 households, ranking 38th of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Carbon County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.53 percent since the 2020 census base of 64,754, to 65,743 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 530 births against 886 deaths, with net migration of 679. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Carbon County?
$67,554. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $211,400, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $994 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Carbon County?
1,205 establishments, employing 13,027 people with an annual payroll of $543.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Carbon County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 3,501 jobs, 21.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 16,676 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,741, or $860 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Carbon County?
48 7(a) approvals totaling $19.5 m since FY2020, across 22 lenders, with a median approval of $238,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $8.5 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Carbon County?
157 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $43.6 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Carbon County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Carbon County come from?
The largest single origin is Lehigh County, with 321 households. Arriving households report an average income of $59,873 against $53,148 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Carbon County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Carbon County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Carbon County
Cities and places in Carbon.
18 Census places lie wholly or partly in Carbon County. All 18 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmerton | borough | 5,622 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Lehighton | borough | 5,268 | 18 | Wholly in this county |
| Jim Thorpe | borough | 4,540 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Lansford | borough | 4,156 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Indian Mountain Lake | CDP | 3,889 | None recorded | 43.0 percent here, 57.0 percent Monroe County |
| Nesquehoning | borough | 3,344 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Summit Hill | borough | 3,137 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Weatherly | borough | 2,551 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Towamensing Trails | CDP | 1,716 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Weissport East | CDP | 1,646 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bowmanstown | borough | 968 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Holiday Pocono | CDP | 743 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Beaver Meadows | borough | 730 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tresckow | CDP | 696 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Weissport | borough | 506 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| East Side | borough | 457 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Parryville | borough | 445 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Albrightsville | CDP | 85 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
A further 4 of the county's 48 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Carbon County, the largest being Hazleton (2), Allentown (1), White Haven (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.